Runaway Mom
by RosalindB
Summary: Chet and Roxy's first attempt at having a child does not go as planned. Nothing explicit, but it's T for a steamy scene and delicate subject.


**_This story is written for pleasure and is not intended to infringe on any existing copyrights._**

**_This story is fictional, a work of the author's imagination. The characters are purely fictional and not based on any person's actual experiences. This is another in my previous series. I've made some changes and toned down a scene, but still may be considered "mature"._**

**Runaway Mom**

Author: Rosalind B

Roxy stared into her coffee cup. She ignored the late night gamblers staggering past her booth, searching for a waiter. The aroma of bacon , ham and sausage failed to make her nose twitch. She sighed, slowly opened a container of half & half and poured it in. Then another, then another, then added four packets of sugar.

"Boy, you really like it sweet huh?" the waitress held the pot over Roxy's cup. "More?" Roxy shook her head. "No, I don't regularly drink it. This is the only way I can have it." She struggled to smile. "My husband likes it black-" she hesitated, "I mean liked it black. Said it reminded him of my hair…" her voice trailed off. The waitress looked at her for a moment.  
"My name's LeeAnn. Friends call me Lee. I get off in a few. Lemme find ya some breakfast, and I'll listen. We girls gotta stick together."

Roxy gave Lee a half smile. "Thanks. I could use that right now."

Lee patted Roxy on the shoulder and finished her rounds. A few minutes later, she returned with a plate of scrambled eggs, wheat toast, and almost burnt-but-not-quite bacon. "Here, put somethin' in your stomach." She flipped her dirty blonde hair over her shoulder and slid into the seat across from Roxy. Roxy took a bite of the bacon, then looked at it. "Whoa. It looks burnt, but it's just right! How on earth…?"

"You're in Las Vegas. We cook differently here. Where are you from? And what do you know about bacon?"

Roxy finished her slice. "Los Angeles. And I own a restaurant. Used to be the chef too, but gave that part up when-"

"When you got married?" Lee put her hand on Roxy's arm.

Roxy teared up. "No. Pregnant."

Lee squeezed her arm. "Why are you here all by yourself hon? Your husband must be worried sick."

Roxy shook her head, and began to eat the eggs. "I don't think he is. I don't think he loves me anymore. I failed him. I failed us." She barely swallowed a second forkful of eggs and began to cry. Lee got up from the booth, and moved to Roxy's side.

"Come on with me. We'll go someplace quiet so you can talk." She guided her past the bleary eyed patrons who glanced up from their breakfasts.

"So why are you alone?" Lee handed Roxanne a tissue. Roxy took a deep breath, staring at the red hills hidden behind morning mist.

"Have you ever been in love so strongly that you feel responsible for anything that goes wrong?"

Lee shook her head. "Not that bad. I've been in pretty deep lust, but not love." Roxy chuckled at the answer, shaking her head.

"I'll tell you the lust ain't bad either when you're married to the right person."

"That didn't answer my question." Lee handed her another tissue.

Roxy adjusted herself on the rock she sat on. After a few moments, she began her story.

"The doctor was running late. His 1:30 appointment wasn't over yet, so I had to wait. Not a big deal, the woman in the exam room  
was in her seventh month. The next patient and I were only starting our third. Funny, when your pregnant you talk to other  
people more, especially other women. It's like a big coffee klatch, all these women talking about what stage they are, the  
best Lamaze classes, midwife or doctor debates-sorry, I'm digressing."

Lee shook her head.

"Anyway, I felt a slight twinge. I didn't worry about it, figured I just needed to go to the bathroom. Told the receptionist I'd be  
right back. As I got closer to the bathroom, the twinge turned into a cramp. When I sat down, there was blood. The cramp  
turned into a massive pain. I must've screamed, because the last thing I remember was the nurse running in and pulling  
me off the john."

"You don't remember anything else?" Lee puffed on a cigarette.

"No. I just went hysterical. The doctor told me later that I went into shock. I bled harder than he thought." Roxy  
shifted her body again, wrapped her arms around her knees.

"I don't even remember the ambulance ride. The paramedics knew my husband. They told me later that he recognized  
the address on the response call and just sat in a chair staring at the wall until they came back."

"Your husband is a fireman?"

"Yes. We've been married almost three years now. He married me for insurance." Roxy gave a small smile at the memory.

"Huh? He needed insurance? I thought he got that-?"

Roxy chuckled. "It was me who needed health insurance. Needed some tests, and was in between some legal stuff.  
Chet-that's his name-was a regular customer, and a friend."

Lee snuffed out the cigarette butt. "So it started as a friend helping a friend, but became something else?" She  
smiled at Roxy. "Sounds like a good man."

"He is." Roxy fished a photo out of her purse, then handed it to her companion. She was dressed in a lavender suit,  
Chet in his dress uniform. He hugged her from behind, his head resting on her shoulder. "He hasn't had a proper  
hair cut since…we didn't have a real wedding, but decided to have at least one formal picture done…the doctor  
warned us the fibroid might cause a miscarriage. But everything seemed fine..I let him down. He wanted a baby, so did I."

Lee began to rub Roxy's back. "Hon, did he actually say that to your face? I can't see him as a cruel person."

Roxy rested her head on her arms and cried. "N-no. But one day I heard him on the phone with his brother. He took  
time off to make sure I was okay at home. The whole time he held my hand, never said anything. He snapped at the  
doctor more than once. His friends were wonderful, one cooked for us, another dragged Dumplin -that's what I call  
him-his real name is Chet out of the house to give him a break. I really felt bad physically only a couple days, but  
he's protective. And emotionally I was-am a wreck." Roxy sat up. "I had no idea how much he hurt until I heard  
that phone conversation with his brother. 'What did we do to deserve this? Why couldn't she be healthy?' "

She looked at Lee. "It's my fault. Why can't I be healthy?" Lee shook Roxy's shoulders.

"It is NOT your fault! These things are no one's fault. Don't think that way!"

Roxy stood up and gathered her jacket and purse.

"Where are you going?" Lee asked.

"Back to the inn. I'm staying up at Lake Mead .

"Where at Mead?"

"At the Bell's Bed & Breakfast. I needed peace and quiet."

"Let me drive you."

Roxy put her hand up. "No, I have a car, thanks; and thanks for listening." She shook Lee's hand, then the two women hugged.

"But-"Before Lee could finish her sentence, Roxy walked back to her car.

"Chesterbaby I honestly don't know where she is." Cassandra attempts to convince Chet were falling on deaf  
ears. "Chile if I knew where she was, I'd be there with her-you know that!"

Chet paced her living room. Mike Morton, Dixie and the guys sat and watched him pace.

"But you're her best friend! You must have some idea! It's not like her." He got down on his knee in front of Cassandra.  
"Sandra please! If there's anything you know. It's been three days. She hasn't been well. Heck, I'm not doing so good either."

Sandra took Chet's face in her hands, tears running down her face. "Honey I don't know. She never called before  
she left. I didn't know she was away until you called. I'm scared too." Mike pulled her away from him and hugged her.  
Chet sat on the floor and rested his head on his knees.

Lt. Crockett jotted down notes on a small pad. "Are you sure you didn't have an argument? I'm sorry to pry, but any  
idea of her mental state-"

Chet shook his head. "No, nothing. I made her breakfast, she read the paper, my brother Joe called, and I talked to  
him for-oh no." Chet's eyes grew wide as he recalled the conversation. "She couldn't have…"

"Couldn't have what Chet?" Hank asked.

"I got into an argument with Joe. He said it was her fault. He said "what did you do to deserve this-and then  
'why couldn't she be healthy?' I was yelling at him and repeated it back at him. I said he had no right to say  
those things, and I'd knock him on his ass the next time I saw him.

When I got off the phone, she was gone."

Crockett put his pad and paper away. "She probably only heard the first part. Doctor, any idea what kind of physical condition she's in?"

"Well, she needs to eat on a regular schedule, we prescribed vitamins for her. And she's probably fatigued. Nothing life threatening, but it's best that she's home, or at least in a comfortable place. As for emotional, well, she lost a baby."

Crockett nodded. "I'll put out a bulletin and ask around. Do you have a photo?"

Chet reached in his pocket, and pulled his copy of their wedding photo. "Please don't lose it," he handed it to the policeman. "It's all-" he couldn't finish. Crockett patted him on the shoulder. "We'll do our best. I'll be in touch." He turned to leave when the doorbell rang.

Cassandra opened the door. "Miz Louise! How are you? What are you doing here?"

Miz Louise, dressed in her white gloves, navy blue dress and white straw hat opened her black patent leather  
purse and pulled out an envelope. She looked at Crockett.

"You the idiot that insulted my girl?"

Crockett just stared.

"No, Miz Louise, that's Lt. Crockett."

"So who's Chester? I gotta hairdresser's appointment now, don't dawdle!"

Chet raised his hand. "Um I am."

Miz Louise marched over to him. "This is for insulting my girl." She hit him with her pocketbook.

Then she handed him an envelope. "She said to give this to you."

"Do you know where she is ma'am?" Crockett asked.

"No, but if she hits it big she may not come back," the old woman lied.

She turned on her heel and left.

Chet gave Cassandra a hug. "Thanks."

"Don't worry about it hon. Just tell her I'ma smack her for scaring us like this." Chet shook hands with  
Mike. "Keep us posted Chet. If you need anything-" Chet nodded and left.

Cassandra curled up on the couch. Her tears began to fall again. Mike settled next to her, and gently  
pulled her into his embrace. Sandra tried to wipe away the tears with her hand, but was replaced by Mike's small kisses.

"I'm not in the mood," she whispered.

"Neither am I, but I will wipe your tears away princess."

She snuggled closer.

"She'll come home," he said.

"Yes, she will. It's just that they've been through so much. It's not fair."

Roxanne sat at the end of the pier. The sun spread through the sky, raspberry sherbet against peach, against  
orange; the bowl hills and mountain peaks. She sighed, zipped up her jacket, then made her way back to the inn.  
Mrs. Bell waited on the porch, a large flashlight in her hand. Roxy smiled at her as she ascended the stairs. The older  
woman wrapped an arm around her shoulders and they walked into the dining room.

"I made you some soup, and there's fresh baked bread too. You look tired, you should get something in you."

"Thanks. That's something my momma would say."

Mrs. Bell set the soup on the table. Roxy took off her jacket, flipped her hair back, then leaned just over the steaming bowl.

"Smells great."

"Be careful, it's hot." She set the bread down, and took a seat beside the young woman.

"The other guests decided to "party on the Strip" tonight, so it's just us."

Roxy nodded, sipping a spoonful of soup. "Ooooh this tastes great too! Add it to the list of recipes please." The  
owner laughed.

"Yes, of course I will." She moved a lock of Roxy's hair from her face. "Why don't you call him?" Roxy began to  
protest, but Mrs. Bell stopped her.

"He's still your husband. If he didn't love you, you wouldn't have been pregnant in the first place. You said he  
took care of you afterward."

Roxy swallowed another spoonful of soup. "Yes, but what he said to his brother…I don't blame him. I'm not angry  
with him. It's my fault. I don't want to talk about it anymore-please."

Mrs. Bell patted her arm. "Okay. But I know exactly what you're going through. If you want to talk again, let me know."  
She left the table, and began to prepare coffee and cookies for the other guest's return. Roxy stared into the bowl of  
soup for a few moments, then started to eat again.

_**Dumpling,**_

_**I am not angry with you. I am disappointed with myself. Maybe I was just too optimistic. Maybe it wasn't  
meant for us to have a child. The dream with Momma telling me I'd have one of my own, perhaps it was  
only my own hopes. Perhaps I put too much faith in beating the odds. It's not fair for you, it's not right that  
my body is denying your happiness-our happiness. **_

_**I can't think straight right now. My heart is broken my soul empty. I need some air.**_

_**I love you Dumpling, I do I do I do. **_

Chet read the letter three times. He sat in the recliner, Hershey on his lap.

"If she loved us so much, why did she leave, Hershey? I can't even look for her. All I know is that she's in Las Vegas  
somewhere. Where do I start?"

Cassandra took a deep breath. She pressed on the doorbell. The door opened. Miz Louise stood in her green housecoat,  
slippers and matching scarf.

"Yes?"

"May I come in Miz Louise?"

"No, but since you'll probably stand on my stoop and embarrass me in front of my neighbors, come in."

"Where is she?"

"Who child? I know a lot of people." Miz Louise turned and walked away. Her slippers scuffed the polished floor.  
Cassandra slammed the door behind her. Miz Louise jumped and faced her.

"Don't you go slamming my door girl! You think I can't still whoop your butt?"

"You listen and listen good you old biddy! My best friend is missing. She may still be sick. She's definitely  
heartbroken. Her husband is beside himself. WHERE IS SHE?"

"If that husband of hers didn't blame her, I would've called him when she came here first."

Cassandra grit her teeth. "He didn't insult her. He was yelling at his brother who insulted her. She didn't hear the whole  
conversation. And you didn't even TRY to find out what happened."

"You are out of line yelling at me miss thang."

"And YOU are a miserable old hag, who lets sick people go off to places behind God's back and not help her family.  
You know what they call you in church? Miz Louise the busybody, always busy in everybody's business. I shoulda  
known you'd make the bed and not lay in it."

Cassandra turned to leave. She opened the front door, when,

"Bell's Bed & Breakfast. At Lake Mead. I do NOT have the phone number. Lady's a friend of her father's."

Cassandra turned to face the older woman.

"Guess I better go lie in that bed now eh," Miz Louise said.

"I shouldn't have raised my voice. But she's my best friend."

"I know. I had one once too," the old woman confessed.

"Kelly residence." Chet sighed into the phone. Lee could hear how broken his heart was.

"Um, my name is LeeAnn. I work at Caesar's in Las Vegas. I tracked you down from the Department headquarters."

Chet tensed upon hearing "Las Vegas".

"If you've hurt my wife-"

Lee shook in her shoes. "No no, I served your wife breakfast at the hotel restaurant today. She told me what  
happened. I know where she's staying. She didn't look good." Her words came out in a rush. She hoped Chet  
wouldn't think it was a practical joke. "She showed me your wedding photo. You had on your dress uniform,  
she had a lavender suit. Said your nickname was Dumpling."

Chet nearly dropped the phone. It wasn't a joke.

"Please. Where is she?"

"Bell's Bed & Breakfast at Lake Mead. Do you want the number?"

Chet let out a whoop, and jumped up and down. Grabbing an envelope and a pencil he panted, "Yes please please please. Lady you don't know…"

"No I don't, but I know love when I see it. Here's the number-712-555-1212."

Cassandra cut off three other cars getting to Chet & Roxy's house. She barely remembered not to lock her  
keys in the car when she arrived. She ran up the walkway, only to see Chet run out the house with an overnight bag.

"Where are you going?"

"Lake Mead. Someone who met Roxy called, said she was there."

"Bell's Bed & Breakfast?" Cassandra asked.

Chet froze. "Yeah, I just called there, she's registered." He gave Cassandra a 'how did you know?' look.

"Miz Louise got some sense knocked into her and confessed," came the reply.

"Do me a favor and call Doc Morton." Chet continued his dash to the car. "The innkeeper said she had to beg her to eat."

"Will do Chesterbaby!" Cassandra ran back to her car.

Roxy spent the morning reading in the hammock on the porch. She decided to make a journal entry.

_Didn't sleep so well last night. Dreamt Chet was knocking at my door, but I wasn't here. I didn't know where I was,  
but I wouldn't open the door. He begged me to open it. When I did, everyone I knew was standing behind him  
saying, "How could you? What made you think you could be a mother?" I slammed the door. I've never felt so  
low before. Stayed up the rest of the night and watched the sunrise. Once the sun came up, I suddenly felt peaceful. Don't know why._

_Funny, I had an appetite this morning. Still full. Mrs. Bell was happy to see that. And Dad showed up last night.  
She must've called him. We talked over breakfast. Told me the same thing happened to Momma-twice. Then they had me. _

Roxy's father walked out onto the porch. He was a tall man, over six feet. His hair half silver half black afro,  
with a silver mustache. He adjusted his suspenders and leaned on the rail.

"Morning Toots."

"Hi Dad."

"Feeling better?"

"A little."

He pointed to a Volkswagen van pulling into the driveway. "Good. You got company."

Roxy sat up on the hammock. Chet parked. Then got out. He stood still for a moment, taking in the tall,  
serious looking man with folded arms next to her. Roxy's father stepped off the porch, his long legs skipping  
a step on the way down.

"Hello son-in-law." He held out his hand. Chet took it, and the two shook hands.

"Hello sir."

"Just call me William." He turned to his daughter. "Roxanne? Don't you want to greet your husband? He looks tired."

Roxy stepped off the porch. It began as a walk to where her husband stood, then turned into a run.

Neither spoke. They hugged each other for all they were worth. Chet kissed her cheeks, her neck, her hair.  
Then they looked into each other's eyes.

"I was worried sick," he whispered when they broke apart.

"I'm sorry," she ran her hand through his hair.

"Don't be sorry. You have nothing to be sorry for. Oh Honeybun I was yelling at Joe. He was an ass over  
the phone-oh it doesn't matter-I love you. Come home."

William cleared his throat. "We would like to show you some hospitality, if you can spare another day or so." Mrs. Bell  
joined him at the steps.

Chet looked at Roxy. "I'm off for another week. How are you feeling?"

"Fine. Wanda-she motioned to Mrs. Bell-took me to her doctor yesterday. He said as long as I took it easy and  
had three squares a day I should be fine."

Chet smiled for the first time in days. He looked up at William. "We'd love to stay for another two days."

**_A month later:_**

"Honeybun! I'm home."

"Up here."

Chet dashed to the bedroom. "You okay?"

Roxanne was covered up to her chin. "I've got a little chill. I need a little heat."

"You want another blanket?"

Roxy groaned. "Dumplin, I need BODY HEAT."

Chet blushed. "Yeah yeah I knew. I was just messing with you." He lifted the blanket. He whistled at the sight  
of her body in her favorite purple nightgown.

"I'll be right back." He almost tripped running into the bathroom. Five minutes later, he bounded into the bedroom  
to find the blankets gone.

Roxanne reached out to him. "Let's take our time."

He slid beside her, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her gently at first. She returned the kiss with  
increasing passion. She slid her hands down his back, reacquainting herself with his skin. She kissed his neck,  
leaving passion marks at the base, moving to his collarbone and shoulder. He buried his face in her hair, the  
scent of almond hairdressing teased him. He preferred her braids, but the softness of her straightened hair  
didn't diminish anything. He moaned at her kisses, pulling her body closer. She blew in his ear.

"mmmmmm…honeyb-" He didn't finish. Roxy moved her way down his chest, brushing her tounge over his nipples.  
He slid the nightgown off, the feel of satin against both their skins exciting them further.

She kissed his stomach, chuckling softly at his reaction. "I see that still tickles."

"Hmmm yep."

She moved to his thigh, kissing the inside.

"Oh gosh." bucked against her as she claimed his lips, kissing him hard enough to make them swell. Her body  
began to move in time to his, the passion rising until they both cried out.

Chet pulled the sheets over them.

"Promise me something."

Roxy snuggled against him. "Anything."

"Next time you want to run away from home, tell me where the cat food is first, or take me with you."

Roxy leaned up and stared at him for a moment.

"You better keep a bag packed."


End file.
